New Jersey Dems might save your privacy

Posted by Sussex County Democratic Committee33sc on April 03, 2017

Inspired by a similar move in Minnesota, Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-37), the senate majority leader, plans to introduce legislation that would prevent Internet providers from selling customers’ personal information and browsing history without their written consent.

Donald Trump is expected to sign a bill passed by both houses of Congress that removes Obama-administration protections and would allow Internet providers to sell data about customers—including Social Security numbers, addresses, family composition, medical status and history, financial information and every website they’ve ever browsed—to marketers and private companies. Everything about everybody who uses the Internet, which at this point is most of the country, will officially be fair game.

“The idea that everything you do is now up for sale is really disgraceful,” said Weinberg.

Her proposed bill would require written permission from users in order for a company to share information about them, and providers would not be allowed to make permission a condition for service.

The override of the FCC regulation will also allow providers to reduce Net speeds and then charge more for higher bandwidth, and they will no longer have to maintain anti-hacker security systems or notify customers they are being hacked.